Now in its 18th season, Berlin Fashion Week feels all grown up. While the city morphs from a raw, anti-establishment artist commune into an increasingly sophisticated and polished creative capital, Fashion Week itself is smartly scaling back. Germany is Europe’s largest economy, but regional designers continue to struggle. With modest presentations and a focus on nurturing promising new talent, BFW feels more realistic and relevant than ever before. Many local favorites are absent from the schedule—either showing instead in Paris or opting out of catwalk presentations. However, the 166 German and international brands displaying their collections over the four days of runway shows are making more intimate and innovative use of Berlin, with charming off-site locations and salon presentations instead of catwalks. (In past years, more attention was focused on visiting stars and big, sometimes bombastic events.)
Although the main Mercedes-Benz tent, located at the Brandenburg Gate, was abuzz yesterday with sightings of Gigi Hadid and local celebrities attending Maybelline New York’s catwalk showcase, the most creatively rewarding shows happened elsewhere. At the Postbahnhof event space, the Greenshowroom spotlighted young, locally trained designers devoted to innovative eco-fashion—a passion in Berlin. In the evening, Dawid Tomaszewski presented a chic collection ironically inspired by Bauhaus design in the opulent Neo-Classical Kronprinzenpalais. Ending the first day in Mitte’s Me Collectors Room, Lala Berlin’s designer, Leyla Piedayesh, invited friends and guests to enjoy a fashion film, Jesper Munk’s sweet singing, and a Middle Eastern buffet created by the chef from Soho House Berlin’s The Store Kitchen. Even before Munk’s mother and sisters joined him on the raised platform where he sang while the film screened around him, the atmosphere was sweet and nurturing. Who needs razzle-dazzle when you could have a big, beautiful family dinner?
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